tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29588357726105638082018-01-15T08:50:52.145-08:00IDVW Designa blog about furniture design, building, and productionIsaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.comBlogger165125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-11290027210789603062015-09-02T15:32:00.002-07:002015-09-02T15:32:49.857-07:00Skype<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0WZSYUEd9s/Ved4xrlm3lI/AAAAAAAAFSg/bzRRJHp_yjw/s1600/Skype%2BScam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c0WZSYUEd9s/Ved4xrlm3lI/AAAAAAAAFSg/bzRRJHp_yjw/s320/Skype%2BScam.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-76915702080033334142012-12-04T12:05:00.001-08:002014-06-28T22:25:09.999-07:00Aquarium Cabinet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Med7oaorUqY/UbZdb6wldMI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/mx5J2v-YaBo/s1600/rocky+mtn+stand+33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Med7oaorUqY/UbZdb6wldMI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/mx5J2v-YaBo/s320/rocky+mtn+stand+33.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>When I first started in woodworking, I made a lot of aquarium cabinets. Aquarium cabinets can be simple empty boxes, a design that presents only a few challenges to a beginning woodworker. Of course, they also have unique requirements, different from your typical cabinet. To name a few, they need to hold a lot of weight, be waterproof or water resistant, and provide access to all of the tubes and sumps that are housed under today's modern aquaria. Since I am an avid aquarist, aquarium stands offered me a chance to bring a rare combination of skills to these projects. <br /><br />I built several very large, traditional aquarium cabinets. But this summer, I was commissioned for a more creative aquarium stand project. The client allowed me a great deal of artistic freedom with the design, and I was able to bring some of the fine-furniture skills I have learned, to bear on the project.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scqnZZrprRM/UKDqEWbV5OI/AAAAAAAAEvc/SzCBtWeqah8/s1600/IMG_5822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-scqnZZrprRM/UKDqEWbV5OI/AAAAAAAAEvc/SzCBtWeqah8/s320/IMG_5822.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a><br /><br />So thank you, Eric, for giving me this opportunity!<br /><h2><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">My Finest Aquarium Stand</span></span>&nbsp;</h2>This is a pic of the completed piece. It is made of 100% white birch, except for two plies of marine mahogany plywood in the curved door (more on that later).<br /><br />The cabinet is dovetailed together, and the back is made of ship-lapped 1/4" birch planks, that are set into a dado that runs around the rear edge. The holes in the center plank are there for ventilation (very important for aquarium cabinets housing an under-tank sump of water), as well as ways for electrical cords (for running the heater, pumps, and other sump-related gizmos).<br /><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-leu5ycBxTdY/UKcI3eFz03I/AAAAAAAAEww/GdbZCX27a2c/s1600/IMG_5823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-leu5ycBxTdY/UKcI3eFz03I/AAAAAAAAEww/GdbZCX27a2c/s320/IMG_5823.jpg" height="320" width="238" /></a>The tank is meant to sit on top of the stand, which is made from a large slab of live-edged white birch. The base of the stand is cut from that same slab. The cabinet, which will hold the sump and a shelf for supplies, is trapped between four legs, which are made from 12/4" "flame" figured birch.<br /><br />Each leg is tenoned into the top and bottom slabs.<br /><br />The way the cabinet is suspended between the two slabs is pretty nifty. Each leg has a long notch, about 1/2" deep, which traps the cabinet around 5" from the base slab. The front legs are themselves let into 1/4" dadoes in the cabinet walls themselves, a sort of stretched-out bridle joint that prevents the cabinet from sliding forward or back. But only the front legs are trapped that way: In order to allow the top and bottom slabs, and the cabinet, to seasonally expand and contract relative to each other, the back legs are NOT let into any grooves in the cabinet. The back of the cabinet can actually slide in and out relative to the back legs, but the front of the cabinet won't move. No glue binds any part of the cabinet to the legs. It isn't needed because of the joints, which hold everything securely and solidly (no wiggling), like a puzzle. Once the top and bottom slabs are applied to the tenons at each end of each leg, the whole thing is locked together. Racking, also, is nearly impossible. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Dovetails</span></h3></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndSdmIzZg48/UL5T9hvqg3I/AAAAAAAAEx8/cN7O8gOOIUM/s1600/IMG_5836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ndSdmIzZg48/UL5T9hvqg3I/AAAAAAAAEx8/cN7O8gOOIUM/s200/IMG_5836.JPG" height="147" width="200" /></a>The case is dovetailed together. This was my first time dovetailing a box like this. I have never cut dovetails with a router (except for sliding dovetails, like the ones I use in my <a href="http://idvwdesign.blogspot.com/2011/07/wine-bars-new-product-from-wine-on-deck.html" target="_blank">Wine Bar</a> wine racks).<br /><br />By the time I was finished with this case, I had gotten pretty good at chopping dovetails!&nbsp; And, I have never made a box that was so strong. Given how easy it was to learn, and how strong dovetails are, I can see why this has been the case-making joint of choice for 1,000 years.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCmJ_Nn_nHE/UKcI2Ht2p2I/AAAAAAAAEwo/nqfUh2qgFow/s1600/IMG_5816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wCmJ_Nn_nHE/UKcI2Ht2p2I/AAAAAAAAEwo/nqfUh2qgFow/s200/IMG_5816.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14sD4UfbVyM/UKcIvCNVMCI/AAAAAAAAEv4/rgxPmPGnpWA/s1600/IMG_5737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-14sD4UfbVyM/UKcIvCNVMCI/AAAAAAAAEv4/rgxPmPGnpWA/s200/IMG_5737.JPG" height="148" width="200" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cuL6e-S45w/UKcI7qJO4pI/AAAAAAAAExQ/JWmRYXeelMg/s1600/IMG_5940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9cuL6e-S45w/UKcI7qJO4pI/AAAAAAAAExQ/JWmRYXeelMg/s200/IMG_5940.JPG" height="148" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xachn-mBRvc/UKcI1OsTHoI/AAAAAAAAEwg/2H4cRVrETsw/s1600/IMG_5792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xachn-mBRvc/UKcI1OsTHoI/AAAAAAAAEwg/2H4cRVrETsw/s200/IMG_5792.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a><br /><h3><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The Curved Door</span></h3><br />The curved door was my second experience with bent lamination. I cut the veneers myself, using my supercharged Delta 14" band saw to cut 12" wide birch veneers. The wood was from some 3/4" boards quilted birch, and I was able to get three 1/8" veneers from each one. Not bad! It couldn't have been done, however, without the 3hp Baldor motor bolted to the back of the saw! <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lc2pDar3YnM/UKcI4RBPIdI/AAAAAAAAEw4/vw_-yZ8D5iA/s1600/IMG_5825.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lc2pDar3YnM/UKcI4RBPIdI/AAAAAAAAEw4/vw_-yZ8D5iA/s200/IMG_5825.jpg" height="200" width="148" /></a>Making the bending form was as easy as making a template with a batten and plywood, and then routing a bunch of 3/4" plywood strips to match, using a beefy bearing-guided bit. <br /><br />I used West System epoxy to laminate two layers of quilted birch veneer onto two layers of 1/8" thick mahogany marine plywood.<br /><br />When the epoxy dried, I used a damaged Dozuki saw to rip the edges straight. I cross-cut the top and bottom edges on the band saw.<br /><br />After attaching a frame to the inside of the door front, I used some large SOSS hinges. I like the SOSS hinges because they are invisible, but moreover because they are easy to mount if you have some hand skills. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><h3><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Inside the Cabinet</span></h3><br />Inside the cabinet, I made an adjustable shelf, with a pipe-way in the back so my client could run pipes from the tank into a sump, which will be housed at the bottom of the cabinet. A similar pipe way comes out of the top of the cabinet itself, and pipes run through a notch at the back of the top.<br />The bottom of the cabinet has holes for air. The client will put the sump on small pads to raise it slightly off the floor of the cabinet, so water won't get stuck under the sump, and rot the wood. I like that even though there may be ten gallons of water sitting in the cabinet, it is suspended in mid-air between the top and bottom slabs. I was going for lightness in the design, and floating this heavy cabinet in the air was something I thought would work well. <br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-74570809719178813622012-10-25T18:10:00.001-07:002012-10-25T18:10:24.638-07:00Macbook Pro TeardownThis isn't a woodworking post, but some may find it useful anyway. I love my Macbook Pro. But recently, after dropping it about 25 times, the screen started go go buggy. It seems like the problem can be fixed by pressing on the hinge. Sounds like a simple cable or connection problem!&nbsp; But how to proceed to take the thing apart, with some confidence in what I will find inside?<br /><br />Halleluja!&nbsp; This link shows it all:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Teardown/590/1">http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Unibody+Teardown/590/1</a><br /><br />Thanks Guys!Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-43345402390836583502012-08-21T13:38:00.000-07:002012-08-21T13:38:00.082-07:00Sassafras and Walnut Wine Pedestal<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QTy-bqyPPgg/UDPakRLymOI/AAAAAAAAEuI/-VIeOmTXZzI/s1600/IMG_3077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QTy-bqyPPgg/UDPakRLymOI/AAAAAAAAEuI/-VIeOmTXZzI/s320/IMG_3077.jpg" width="240" /></a>A year ago, my friend gave me a piece of live-edged sassafras, along with a whole bunch of old-growth black walnut, from a fallen tree near his property in Maryland.<br /><br />I have used most of the walnut, on some really cool personal projects, and on a <a href="http://idvwdesign.blogspot.com/2012/02/modernist-entertainment-center.html" target="_blank">recent commission</a>.&nbsp; <br /><br />And I finally got around to using the piece of sassafras, along with some of that walnut, to make a cool wine rack. I book-matched a crazy-figured piece of the walnut to make the base, joining the two panels together using hand-cut wooden butterfly keys and clear epoxy. They're my first butterfly keys; the epoxy was a necessity, rather than an open choice. The resulting base sits on two walnut rails, and is solid and stable.<br /><br />The rack itself is made from the one piece of sassafras, with a special walnut base that tilts the thing back slightly. I left the bark on, and to hold the wine bottles, I drilled angled holes in the sassafras.&nbsp;<br /><br />I also added small dowels in the tops of the holes to hold the wine bottles tight, in case the rack was bumped. These little dowels let me drill the holes so the bottles would lie almost flat, perpendicular to the rack, but still be held securely. The dowels are angled so you don't feel them when you put the bottle in, but you can't remove the bottle without lifting it up before pulling it out.<br /><br />Ingenious, if I do say so myself!<br /><br />The whole thing is finished in Danish oil, so there are no worries about leaving the bottles in for a long time (and pulling off a strip of stuck-on finish when you finally do remove the bottle).<br /><br />It's stable when fully loaded, a one-of-a-kind art piece and functional bottle holder with a 12-bottle capacity. It's also for sale. Contact me <a href="http://idvwdesign.blogspot.com/p/custom-commissions.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogX-IOYO4_k/UDPaiNFNUEI/AAAAAAAAEt4/G3DH0XiN2rM/s1600/IMG_3070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ogX-IOYO4_k/UDPaiNFNUEI/AAAAAAAAEt4/G3DH0XiN2rM/s320/IMG_3070.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1fCMLS6YucI/UDPajCJz2TI/AAAAAAAAEuA/Q_pte0Lvqqo/s1600/IMG_3075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1fCMLS6YucI/UDPajCJz2TI/AAAAAAAAEuA/Q_pte0Lvqqo/s320/IMG_3075.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJXlI7CApbU/UDPafkkhgGI/AAAAAAAAEtY/tGTOcjWPP20/s1600/IMG_3059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zJXlI7CApbU/UDPafkkhgGI/AAAAAAAAEtY/tGTOcjWPP20/s320/IMG_3059.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mJFbcIuRWfA/UDPagB1NCfI/AAAAAAAAEtg/nmzqkzlHqSs/s1600/IMG_3060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mJFbcIuRWfA/UDPagB1NCfI/AAAAAAAAEtg/nmzqkzlHqSs/s320/IMG_3060.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1ehrX0eWL0/UDPae0V_8sI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/t9N9oGTvPsg/s1600/IMG_3057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-e1ehrX0eWL0/UDPae0V_8sI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/t9N9oGTvPsg/s320/IMG_3057.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-91099269009152386332012-08-21T09:53:00.003-07:002012-08-21T10:09:44.382-07:00Building a Large Trestle Table - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8KDiaS4N48/UDO1YGV3n_I/AAAAAAAAEsU/9btNgF-WTMs/s1600/Rise+Table+-+angle+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-r8KDiaS4N48/UDO1YGV3n_I/AAAAAAAAEsU/9btNgF-WTMs/s320/Rise+Table+-+angle+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>When I was commissioned to build a 9-foot trestle table and benches for a vacation home in Maine, my clients and I discussed the challenge of moving the piece which, being made of solid African Mahogany, was going to be quite heavy. Together, we decided to go for a "knock-down" design, which allow for the piece to be dis-assembled and re-assembled without damaging the joints. The other benefit of "knock-down designs is they provide for a very rigid construction that stays rigid, even during the dry, cold winter months, when wood furniture joints typically become loose due to wood shrinkage.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6X5pwFZoBF4/UDO0oKIvdEI/AAAAAAAAEr0/o2YVqSd1nh4/s1600/IMG_5677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6X5pwFZoBF4/UDO0oKIvdEI/AAAAAAAAEr0/o2YVqSd1nh4/s200/IMG_5677.JPG" width="200" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GM8CghIXZo/UDO0aXuSeSI/AAAAAAAAEp8/TFnN-KW6wis/s1600/IMG_5629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2GM8CghIXZo/UDO0aXuSeSI/AAAAAAAAEp8/TFnN-KW6wis/s200/IMG_5629.jpg" width="148" /></a>Now, Ikea furniture is "knock-down" furniture, but everybody knows it doesn't stay rigid over time. The difference between the Ikea version of "knock-down" and the fine furniture version is in the joints. Whereas Ikea furniture relies on dowels and screws threaded through particle board, the trestle table in question would be built with a matrix of lap and bridle joints, with a pair of wedged tenons holding the bottom stretcher tight in place. The resulting construction, weighted down by the heavy solid-wood table top, will result in a table that might get a bit shorter in the winter, but will always be tight and not wobbly.<br /><br />Did I mention the table will be kept on a roofed-in (but open) deck? That means it will be exposed to rain, sleet, and relentless summer sun. This is a supreme challenge to a furniture-maker. But using a number of techniques and the right lumber, an heirloom piece is not only possible, but a welcome project.<br /><br />This is the first post in a series, showing how I make the bridle joints for this table and bench set, which is still in progress.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfDip90zWms/UDO0bwO5gxI/AAAAAAAAEqM/-qj7j68CBIg/s1600/IMG_5633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CfDip90zWms/UDO0bwO5gxI/AAAAAAAAEqM/-qj7j68CBIg/s200/IMG_5633.JPG" width="200" /></a>Once the notches are cut, the legs are used to lay out the location of the notches for the cleats and feet, which get edge-notches as well as face-notches.<br /><br />I use the actual pieces to lay out all my joints. It's the fastest and most exact. In furniture-making, one almost never uses measuring tape or free-hand marking. The most important thing is that things like multiple notches all be exactly the same depth. I achieve this with a scratch gauge.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NWbuYRUUSGE/UDO0rOtDa8I/AAAAAAAAEsM/cL0Y5S45UmA/s1600/IMG_5682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NWbuYRUUSGE/UDO0rOtDa8I/AAAAAAAAEsM/cL0Y5S45UmA/s200/IMG_5682.JPG" width="200" /></a>I use a chisel and a Japanese saw to cut the notches. The better I get with the saw, the closer to the line I can cut. But I don't cut on my line: I use the chisel to pare away waste until a perfect drop-in fit is achieved. <br /><br /><u><b>Making Joinery Cuts with a Saw</b></u><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYzcxe25PuA/UDO0kFNL5lI/AAAAAAAAErU/ZNFjv1WSNNU/s1600/IMG_5671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CYzcxe25PuA/UDO0kFNL5lI/AAAAAAAAErU/ZNFjv1WSNNU/s200/IMG_5671.jpg" width="148" /></a>Cutting joinery with a hand saw is an acquired skill. In the past, I would have spent a lot of time setting up jigs for power tools like my table saw or router, which would allow me to cut my joints simply by pushing a sled or a tool on a guided path. The result of using jigs and power tools is ideally a very accurate joint. But it is time consuming, especially for complicated joints (like the multiple bridles and lap in this table's trestle assembly). And power tools, while themselves accurate, are only as accurate as their setup, and for all but a narrow range of jigs, they are not accurate enough for fine-fitting furniture.<br /><br />Much better is to develop a facility with a good hand saw and a sharp chisel. Here, I use the legs to lay out the size of the bridle joints on the cleats and feet. I use a marking knife to score the edge of the notch, then a saddle square to score a line all the way around the piece. <br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aet1TZM6CzQ/UDO0lhA-uNI/AAAAAAAAErc/8sUxre3yMgo/s1600/IMG_5672.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aet1TZM6CzQ/UDO0lhA-uNI/AAAAAAAAErc/8sUxre3yMgo/s200/IMG_5672.jpg" width="148" /></a><br />The line provides a track for the saw, with which I make a very shallow, long cut in the face of the feet or cleat. Once the cut is made, the shoulder of the face notch is defined, and the waste can be cut away with the chisel. The result is a shallow track, in which the leg joint slides home. <br /><br /><u><b>Reinforcing the Bridle Joints</b></u><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CwDjBuNhkWw/UDO0mw1qjOI/AAAAAAAAErk/190QziTilYI/s1600/IMG_5673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CwDjBuNhkWw/UDO0mw1qjOI/AAAAAAAAErk/190QziTilYI/s200/IMG_5673.JPG" width="200" /></a>The whole idea of this design is that it can be dis-assembled. So once the bridle joints are all fitted, I will put thick dowels inside the top joints, where the stretchers meet the cleats. This will make the cleat/stretcher joint extremely rigid, even though in winter the wood will shrink and a typical unglued joint would become loose. The cleat/leg/foot assembly will be glued together with titebond III, a water-proof wood glue. Later, I will add the arched, bottom stretcher (see design pics), which will have a wedged tenon joint at each foot. This wedge can be tapped in during the winter, when the joint will loosen.<br /><br />Stay tuned for more about this project as it progresses!<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IzpQdJJ3yFA/UDO0nS8csGI/AAAAAAAAErs/9sUw6indhU4/s1600/IMG_5674.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IzpQdJJ3yFA/UDO0nS8csGI/AAAAAAAAErs/9sUw6indhU4/s200/IMG_5674.jpg" width="148" /></a><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Y35k2tBcDA/UDO8-mMrNOI/AAAAAAAAEsg/yE3R8a6Flv0/s1600/rise+table+angle+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Y35k2tBcDA/UDO8-mMrNOI/AAAAAAAAEsg/yE3R8a6Flv0/s320/rise+table+angle+2.png" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-67309057414264420662012-06-20T13:27:00.001-07:002012-06-20T13:34:50.443-07:00Karl Holtey Maker of Fine Hand Planes<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X8YiQyENTD0/T-IyFLyJqeI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/3lDwTIHt_GI/s1600/holtey+jointers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X8YiQyENTD0/T-IyFLyJqeI/AAAAAAAAEpQ/3lDwTIHt_GI/s320/holtey+jointers.jpg" width="320" /></a>While looking for a set of drawings for a wooden infill shoulder plane (I want to build my own, after using a Stanley No.93 and then - when that one's mechanism disintegrated - a 100-year-old wooden model), I came across this website for Karl Holtey's hand-made hand planes. These are very fine looking, and by the looks of them, finely made, planes. ;-)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tF7vJ1sFhfs/T-IyFlDHfRI/AAAAAAAAEpY/G8WtlghZCN8/s1600/holtey+metal+plane+parts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tF7vJ1sFhfs/T-IyFlDHfRI/AAAAAAAAEpY/G8WtlghZCN8/s1600/holtey+metal+plane+parts.jpg" /></a>It struck me that while Karl's planes may cost over $3,000, people do buy them and in 100 years many of his planes will probably still be in use. Holtey planes will certainly achieve collectible status, if they aren't already. His trademark look is the dovetailed infill along the sole of the planes. I have seen finger-jointed soles on wooden planes before, but this dovetailed method is pretty wicked!<br /><br />If you want to see some beautiful-looking planes from a true artist and craftsman, take a look at<a href="http://www.holteyplanes.com/" target="_blank"> Karl's Website.</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D201Cw306go/T-IyGeY1iWI/AAAAAAAAEpg/WjwGqZYgTxU/s1600/holtey+metal+planes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D201Cw306go/T-IyGeY1iWI/AAAAAAAAEpg/WjwGqZYgTxU/s320/holtey+metal+planes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I didn't include pictures here of some of his planes with rectangular totes. As somebody who uses his hand planes a lot, I have to say I am not attracted to having sharp wooden angles in my palm for the duration of a session of flattening a big panel. Ouch!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-58943402394372244462012-06-08T23:12:00.004-07:002012-06-08T23:13:21.364-07:00Best Woodworking ClampsBefore I begin my review of the best woodworking clamps, IMHO, here's an old woodworker's joke: <br /><br />Q: <i>"how many clamps do you need in your shop?"</i><br /><a name='more'></a><br />A: <i>"One more than you have."</i><br /><br />Hilarious!<br /><br />There's more to a bit of truth to it. But it has half to do with the fact that as woodworkers, we continue to take on more and more ambitious projects. I haven't bought a clamp in a while, but then again...<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6xrM_8mQisM/T9LklFCaK3I/AAAAAAAAEoM/tBe042fGQrU/s1600/IMG_5504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6xrM_8mQisM/T9LklFCaK3I/AAAAAAAAEoM/tBe042fGQrU/s320/IMG_5504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxfjJzaomiE/T9LFjROlLAI/AAAAAAAAEmo/-x8xTB8VnSc/s1600/IMG_5499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NxfjJzaomiE/T9LFjROlLAI/AAAAAAAAEmo/-x8xTB8VnSc/s320/IMG_5499.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />I've owned most of the standard woodworker's clamps. I have around 200 clamps in my shop now, in lengths from 2 inches to 10 feet. Over my two year career as a woodworker, I've developed a liking for certain clamps, and a dislike for others. I'm now sharing what I've learned about all the different types of clamps, to help others make better investments.<br /><br />I rank each clamp out of five possible points, and put the price out of 4 $ signs:<br /><b><br /></b><br /><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lXNfUIFjAcQ/T9LHF3hQ40I/AAAAAAAAEmw/dEm__BWnbtU/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lXNfUIFjAcQ/T9LHF3hQ40I/AAAAAAAAEmw/dEm__BWnbtU/s200/IMG_5511.JPG" width="149" /></a>The Jorgensen F-clamp: 5/5 $$$</b><br />The Jorgensen F-clamp is a standard type, available at Home Depot and specialty shops. As you can see from the pics above, this style is the workhorse of my shop.&nbsp; It's a great all-around clamp, with both light and heavy duty versions. I have lengths in both ratings from 6" to 36", and I love them all for general case clamping and even clamping jigs. They have a nub on the end of the bar so the clutch side of the clamp can't come off. I have shaved the nub off of a few of the 10" clamps for use through the dog holes in my bench. These have good clutches that move easily and lock positively. Great quality, medium price.<br /><br /><b>Rockler F-Clamp: 3/5 $$</b><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn4jyoXoScs/T9LIhXgbJcI/AAAAAAAAEm4/h7ZeESI_Ukw/s1600/IMG_5508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rn4jyoXoScs/T9LIhXgbJcI/AAAAAAAAEm4/h7ZeESI_Ukw/s200/IMG_5508.JPG" width="149" /></a>These F-Clamps sometimes go on sale for very low prices. they are a clutch-less version of the Jorgensen F-clamp. While I do have about 25 of the 18" length, a few of the them have started to slip; no wonder, since they rely on very little contact surface to provide the friction to lock.<br /><br /><b>Chinese F-Clamp: 4/5 $</b><br />I bought six of the 36" length off eBay for an extremely low price. But even these cheap Chinese F-clamps have clutches, unlike the Rocklers. They're made with so little metal in the bar, they flex like crazy under even the lightest pressure. But I have come love the light weight of the flimsy bar, especially when I need to span a long distance, but don't want to add a lot of weight.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QRuRW80vF6k/T9LdVJHn4tI/AAAAAAAAEnY/MOhpIFPxrjc/s1600/IMG_5512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QRuRW80vF6k/T9LdVJHn4tI/AAAAAAAAEnY/MOhpIFPxrjc/s200/IMG_5512.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Bessey Deep Jaw F-Clamp:5/5 $$$$</b><br />These F-clamps have really deep jaws for reaching into the middle of large panels. I also keep one next to the fence for my chop saw. That fence is 7 feet long and 10" high, and I like to clamp stop block anywhere along its length. These clamps are the only ones (besides the Kreg clamps) that can reach. Even though they don't have a clutch, they have not slipped one tiny bit. And they have huge Acme screws that generate a ton of pressure. They are an absolute necessity for doing bent laminations wider than 8". I love these, but they cost a fortune. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8D4Po-3cnTE/T9LdMhE7-bI/AAAAAAAAEnM/HT2cE956Dsw/s1600/IMG_5513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8D4Po-3cnTE/T9LdMhE7-bI/AAAAAAAAEnM/HT2cE956Dsw/s200/IMG_5513.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Bessey/Jorgensen K Body Clamps: 5/5 $$$$</b><br />K Body clamps are great for gluing up cases because of their large rectangular jaws, which provide for excellent parallel clamping. K Body clamps can also be reversed to act as spreaders. I have 36" and 50"&nbsp; Bessey K-Body's, and Also a pair of 50" Jorgensen K-Body's. they are pretty much the same, though the dimensions are ever-so-slightly different. I made a set of MDF blocks so I could suspend the K-Body clamps above the bench. You can also buy lift blocks which have two perpendicular grooves, specifically for setting clamping on two axes. I treat my K-Body's terribly, and they have never cracked or racked. Both brands are high quality.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnmbBVqGTKk/T9Lfg6nBxQI/AAAAAAAAEng/iJN7QiluU7E/s1600/IMG_5515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RnmbBVqGTKk/T9Lfg6nBxQI/AAAAAAAAEng/iJN7QiluU7E/s200/IMG_5515.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Kreg Quick Klamps: 3/5 $$$$</b><br />I am hot and cold on Kreg's products. They have a half-evolved "system" of accessories for routing, framing, and casework, the most well-known part of which is their pocket hole joinery system. I do not love pocket hole joinery. I see the advantage, for carpenters who want to do a little basic kitchen cabinetry, but for anybody who wants long-lasting cases, real joinery is far superior. Kreg's Quick Clamps are for clamping face frames onto cases. I found they also work well for clamping work to my bench, or to jigs, or clamping jigs to a tool such as my drill press table. the ones I have are 9" deep, which is a good reach, second only to the deep-jaw Bessey F-Clamps. The only problem with the Quick Klamps is that they have a vise-grip style clamping action, and the jaws can come popping apart at any time. This makes them unsafe to use around power tools.&nbsp; One of my Quick Klamps won't stay shut any more, unless I carefully balance the amount of clamping pressure...and set it to just a bit less than what I really want. Since this is one out of three Quick Klamps that is partly broken, I give these a low quality ranking, hence the 3/5 score. My 9" Klamps were almost $40 each.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ltRB1RrsNw8/T9LglqWJt5I/AAAAAAAAEno/te40umGbjUo/s1600/IMG_5518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ltRB1RrsNw8/T9LglqWJt5I/AAAAAAAAEno/te40umGbjUo/s200/IMG_5518.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Festool Guide Rail Clamp: 5/5 $$$$</b><br />These low-profile clamps are meant to slide into the grooves on the underside of Festool guide rails, for clamping the rail to the work. But they are useful for sooooo much more. these clamps have the same depth as a typical F-clamp, but they're so low profile they can get into places a regular F-clamp can't. Add to that a long flat contact area on the fixed head of the clamp, and you have a very versatile clamp that is very strong, very light, and highly maneuverable. Even though they have no clutch, they never slip. For all-around elegance, these are my favorite clamp, along with the deep-jaw Bessey F-clamps.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKDerqbnfZA/T9LjwvYxDlI/AAAAAAAAEn8/WlCyqZYcAc0/s1600/IMG_5519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XKDerqbnfZA/T9LjwvYxDlI/AAAAAAAAEn8/WlCyqZYcAc0/s200/IMG_5519.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Irwin Quick-Grip F-Clamp: small - 5/5 $$, large - 2/5 $$</b><br />Irwin makes the Quick-Grip in a range of sizes, from 6" to 48". I haven't tried anything larger than 8", because I just can't see paying for a plastic-bodied clamp for big jobs. And I'm glad I never have bought any big ones, since more than a couple of the 8" Irwins I own have disintegrated within one year of purchase. The small, light 6" clamp, however, is a marvel of clamping ease and speed. The ratcheting jaw works fast and you don't have to turn any handles. Release of clamping pressure is instant, via a trigger pull. Now, all of this works great on the littlest clamp in the family (the 6"), but the larger clamps don't really generate much clamping pressure. I only use the bigger ones as auxiliary clamps. If you want to experience the speed of the Quick Grip, do so with the 6" and work your way up. I do not recommend any but the 6".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dpJX4yxm_34/T9LkRN-3eSI/AAAAAAAAEoE/bSijRqJz9NA/s1600/IMG_5516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dpJX4yxm_34/T9LkRN-3eSI/AAAAAAAAEoE/bSijRqJz9NA/s200/IMG_5516.JPG" width="149" /></a></div><b>Irwin "C" Clamp - 1/5 $</b><br />This is a horrible clamp. It is not a true C clamp, but I don't want to take the time to find out what its real name is. No clamping pressure at all. Poor construction. I never use this...never.<br /><br /><b>Pipe Clamps - 3/5 $, Bar Clamps - 5/5 $$$</b><br />Pipe clamps and bar clamps are similar to each other, and are similar in principle to F-clamps. But while pipe clamps use 3/4" steel pipe and a clutch-style moving jaw, bar clamps use a ratcheting moving jaw. If this ratchet is spring-loaded (like mine), bar clamps are loud. I traded my pipe clamps for bar clamps because the pipe clamp jaws tended to slip, no matter what brand I used. My only bar clamps are three 10-footers, because, how else can you make a 10 foot clamp on the cheap? <i>not pictured</i><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BAqaVdV220s/T9LmyIyEDNI/AAAAAAAAEoY/FUdKDbU98Hw/s1600/Shop+Stuff+1490A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BAqaVdV220s/T9LmyIyEDNI/AAAAAAAAEoY/FUdKDbU98Hw/s200/Shop+Stuff+1490A+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><b>Handscrews - 5/5 $</b><br /><br />I give handscrews a 5/5 not because I use them all the time - I don't. I give them a 5/5 because no other clamp has a variable jaw angle, with both jaws able to be set anywhere within a range of about 20 degrees. they are a very old, very elegant design, and handscrews "are what they are". But there are big problems with handscrews. You may have noticed I talk about maneuverability when talking about clamps. Maneuverability is important, and while handscrews may be able to clamp a range of angles, but they are very cumbersome and are limited in where they can be placed on the workpiece. Because the handles (the hand screws) stick out so far, i often find I can't fit handscrews into a small case, or near the benchtop. where most other clamps have a near-zero profile on one end, handscrews project by more than 5" on both ends. <br /><br />Well, there you go! And if anybody out there thinks I missed something or got something wrong, by all means leave a comment.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-63919428501416395112012-06-08T19:58:00.003-07:002012-06-11T09:32:12.849-07:00Coffee Table Type 1<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1yQbCeB4dno/T9Lpn6bxsbI/AAAAAAAAEos/MFKUMpL8Nb4/s1600/IMG_5520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1yQbCeB4dno/T9Lpn6bxsbI/AAAAAAAAEos/MFKUMpL8Nb4/s200/IMG_5520.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>I am designing a coffee table to be sold at a local furniture chain. The coffee table will be a production piece, so I decided to go through a series of prototypes before settling on a final design. The piece in these pictures is the first of these prototypes.<br /><br />Prototyping is an important part of design, and woodworkers use many kinds of prototypes, often made of cardboard or plywood. I tend to work from either full-scale drawings or models made in Google's Sketchup software, taking the view that all one-off custom furniture is a prototype.&nbsp; <br /><br />In this case my prototypes are made from extra material I have lying around the shop, and the joinery, while "heirloom grade", is chosen for speed. The result is a "prototype" that's a one of a kind hand-made heirloom, something desirable to own, but priced within reach, less than $1,000.<br /><br />This coffee table prototype is made from red oak and maple cutoffs. At first, I planned to stain the top. But the Red Oak scrap just looked too good. While the final piece will have mortise and tenon and lap joints, this prototype was built with laps and dowels. It is finished in my special mix of tung oil, urethane, and mineral spirits.<br /><br />the design for this coffee table is obviously an interpretation of the modern furniture of the 1940s and 1950s.&nbsp; It is a trestle design, though with the stretchers way up above the legs. The angled ends of the stretchers and table rails seemed an obvious design choice, and this gave the table an Asian feel. For that reason, I decided to give the top a long chamfer at either end. The chamfer gives this low table quite a bit of lightness and lift.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ybvb25y9xFw/T9K61TdtoTI/AAAAAAAAEmM/9bKdG1prUdI/s1600/IMG_5443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ybvb25y9xFw/T9K61TdtoTI/AAAAAAAAEmM/9bKdG1prUdI/s1600/IMG_5443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ybvb25y9xFw/T9K61TdtoTI/AAAAAAAAEmM/9bKdG1prUdI/s320/IMG_5443.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfwI5BFC2Fc/T9K6kR4m2uI/AAAAAAAAEmE/9fkBmXs5-y8/s1600/IMG_5428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wfwI5BFC2Fc/T9K6kR4m2uI/AAAAAAAAEmE/9fkBmXs5-y8/s320/IMG_5428.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBOQBVeMDWY/T9K697NPPFI/AAAAAAAAEmU/gHvZkyQ7KyM/s1600/IMG_5444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OBOQBVeMDWY/T9K697NPPFI/AAAAAAAAEmU/gHvZkyQ7KyM/s320/IMG_5444.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8l8B160DUBA/T9LrWXU0mhI/AAAAAAAAEo8/y3VVF6i9cDg/s1600/IMG_5521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8l8B160DUBA/T9LrWXU0mhI/AAAAAAAAEo8/y3VVF6i9cDg/s320/IMG_5521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-91773665775703967712012-05-30T09:04:00.001-07:002012-06-08T20:32:34.716-07:00Download the Iturra Design 2010 Catalog PDF Here&nbsp;The Iturra Designs catalog is considered by many woodworkers to be the Bible of Bandsaws. The reason is that owner Louis A. Iturra loves to talk about band saws, and has packed a TON of information about real band saws into his catalog. Not just product info, but info about WHY products are the way they are, and tons of history of different band saw models. This guy has done a lot of sawing. This is perhaps the BEST<br /><a name='more'></a> catalog of any kind for those who want valuable information in addition to product descriptions.<br /><br />But the family-run Iturra Designs business hasn't caught up with the Internet age. They don't have a website and they don't send out catalogs very quickly. It took me a while to track down this PDF of the 2010 catalog. Now that I found it, I am posting it here for all to have. It's in a dropbox.<br /><br />The link is <a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/82359640/Iturra_Design_catalogue_2010.pdf">https://dl.dropbox.com/u/82359640/Iturra_Design_catalogue_2010.pdf</a><br /><br />Enjoy!<br />-isaac<br /><br />P.S. I recently ordered a Spinner 4 retrofit kit for my Delta 14 w/riser from Louis Iturra, and mentioned I had posted this file on my blog. He told me that some people have been charging for downloads of his catalog! You should not be paying for this. You can call Iturra Design at 904-642-2802 and order a paper catalog from them, or download this one.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-87735028137777414712012-04-27T21:19:00.000-07:002012-06-08T20:33:03.168-07:00Max the Whale a big hit at Sault New England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K7zcT9yp4dU/T5tvpmHJe0I/AAAAAAAAEfU/qGY3ZtjQ6QI/s1600/IMG_4272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K7zcT9yp4dU/T5tvpmHJe0I/AAAAAAAAEfU/qGY3ZtjQ6QI/s320/IMG_4272.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Max the Whale has made a big splash in the South End, Boston! After originally showing up in the seasonally warming waters of <b><a href="http://www.saultne.com/" target="_blank">Sault New England</a></b>, thanks to Philip, Sault's proprietor, Max has been fished to near-extinction.<br /><br />Thankfully, <a href="http://www.boulterplywood.com/" target="_blank">Boulter Plywood</a> in Somerville has a ready supply of Max's lifeblood: 5/8" 100% mahogany marine plywood. This Sunday, I'll be working as fast as I can to make more Maxes. Philip has doubled the size of his next order, anticipating even greater demand for Max's debonair style and sink-proof cork feet.<br /><br />Experts predict extreme <br /><a name='more'></a>fluctuations in the population of Maxes in the South End, as party-goers, lulled by spring's warm breezes, make last-minute gift purchases. Expect to see Max all over Southern New England and the Cape, from Woods Hole to Wellfleet.<br /><br /><b>Make no mistake: Max is still made 100% by hand</b>. And he is available direct from me, or at Sault New England, 577 Tremont St., the South End, Boston. Call Philip at (857) 239 9434, then head down to Sault, a gift boutique with style unlike anything else in Boston. Tell him Isaac and Maja sent you, and you're there to <a href="http://www.savethewhales.org/" target="_blank">Save the Whales</a>.<br /><br />Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-87212542601705582882012-04-26T22:28:00.000-07:002012-06-08T20:33:27.383-07:00Maggi Steff 2048 Power FeedI recently purchased a power feed for my shop, for hands-free cutting on the 5hp table saw, and hands-free, smooth cutting on my 3hp shaper. I was lucky to find a Maggi Steff 2048 4-wheel, 1hp feeder on eBay for a mere<br /><a name='more'></a> $850 including shipping. The seller, Jason (<a href="http://myworld.ebay.com/jte7714/&amp;_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2754" target="_blank">jte7714</a>) was nice and seems to have a lot of woodworking machinery for sale. The item arrived as described and was insured.<br /><br />Before I can begin using the feeder, I need to build a rolling stand so I can move it between the saw and the shaper. Also, the 2048 is wired for 440v 3 phase power. I am currently looking for information on how to wire the switch in the 2048 for 230v, and in the process I have found some useful links for anybody trying to service a Maggi feeder.<br /><br />First is the North Amercian distributor for Maggi feeders, <a href="http://www.wmdusa.com/" target="_blank">Woodworking Machinery Distributors USA</a>. The importer for Maggi products into the USA is <a href="http://www.woodtechint.com/" target="_blank">Woodtech International</a>. Woodtech is handling support and parts sales for Maggi machines. I got this info from an <a href="http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?7045-Power-Feeder-Update-and-Gloat" target="_blank">interesting thread</a> on the Sawmill Creek forums, which is a great place for woodworkers looking to connect with other woodworkers.<br /><br /><embed flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&amp;captions=1&amp;hl=en_US&amp;feat=flashalbum&amp;RGB=0x000000&amp;feed=https%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2F107303089708113676069%2Falbumid%2F5735931448704056641%3Falt%3Drss%26kind%3Dphoto%26hl%3Den_US" height="192" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" src="https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="288"></embed>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-7702556366356644892012-04-22T19:44:00.001-07:002012-04-22T19:44:02.796-07:00AirCab at the Door StoreI am happy to announce that my AirCab wall-mounted cabinets are now available at the Door Store in Cambridge. The Door Store specializes in custom furniture. When you buy an AirCab through the Door Store, don't forget to ask about custom sizes. Their staff will help you decide on the right dimensions for your application, then send the info along to me. Your custom-size AirCab will be included in the next run of cabinets, made by me in my Allston studio.<br /><br />And when you visit the Door Store, don't forget to tell them you heard about them on Isaac's blog!<br /><br />the Door Store is located 940 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-1993555441075376502012-04-09T18:31:00.000-07:002012-04-09T18:31:21.090-07:00power feeder and table saw: how tosince I recently ordered a Maggi Steff 2048 power feeder from eBay, I'm getting serious about figuring out how to use it best on my 12", 5hp table saw. Power feeders are typically used on shapers, and I've found lots of information on shapers and feeders. But info on using a feeder with a table saw has been harder to find. After some digging, I came up with <a href="http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/TableSaw_PowerFeeder_Tips.html" target="_blank">this thread on Woodweb</a>. Very useful tips for table saws and power feeders.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-45807659922094319122012-03-31T09:01:00.002-07:002012-04-09T17:59:57.811-07:00Table Saw Safety: Is it Time to Act?For woodworkers, the issue of table saw safety is ever-present. And now the issue has grown big enough to be covered the news outlets like <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/manufacturing/2011-02-02-saws02_ST_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip" target="_blank">USA Today</a>. The big news is a proposed federal <br /><a name='more'></a>law regarding the technology from SawStop, which uses an electrical circuit, a small explosive charge, and aluminum block, to stop a table's saw's blade as soon as it hits human tissue.<br /><br />SawStop and many in the US government would love to see SawStop technology on every new table saw sold in the US. But other manufacturers - as well as a great many woodworkers - object to the requirement.<br /><br /><div class="post-title">One big downside to SawStop is that saws equipped with the technology are not able to cross-cut hot dogs. They also cost several hundred dollars more than non-equipped saws. These concerns (okay...just the second one) are cited by critics as the main reason SawStop technology should remain optional equipment. Manufacturers, obviously, are also concerned about the effect of mandatory SawStop on their bottom (and top) line. The issue is so red-hot that a recent article in Fine Wood Working Magazine ("<i><a href="http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/35233/tablesaw-safety-goes-under-the-microscope-again" target="_blank">Tablesaw Safety Goes Under the Microscope--Again</a></i>") stuck strictly to the facts, and issued little judgment on the proposed federal law making SawStop mandatory. </div><br />But is there a good reason for woodworkers to shun a technology that can prevent them cutting off their fingers? I'll admit that I remain skeptical about the wisdom of mandating SawStop on all new table saws. But I'm also the victim of a table saw accident that left me with a funny-looking fingernail. So what gives? Am I crazy?<br /><br />My sense is most woodworkers don't want to be told what to do, and don't like seeing their beloved machinery brands being forced to welcome a newcomer - SawStop - to their industry. Moreover, woodworkers know that the table saw is just one of many dangerous machines in a wood shop. They also know that a table saw's dangers go beyond slicing digits; the risk of a piece of wood being thrown at the operator is, unlike the cutting action of the blade, potentially deadly. Before my own accident with my "big" table saw (an evil 5 hp, 12" monster), my worst injury in the shop came from a 6x48" belt sander.<br /><br />Before I cut off the tip of my finger on my table saw, I was aware of the consequences of an accident, and aware of the risk factor, but I didn't put two and two together. Luckily, I learned an important lesson about permanent injuries without paying too high a price. Now, I am focused on safety in a different way, and it extends to all of the machines I use.<br /><br />After my injury, I installed the blade guard and riving knife on my "little" saw (a Robland X31 combination crosscut saw), and fabricated a riving knife for the big saw. I also made up several large push blocks that can't fall over or slip - which was the cause of my injury.<br /><br />I probably won't get a SawStop saw in the near future for a number of reasons: I already own two table saws, SawStop doesn't yet make a sliding table saw, nor do they make a 12" saw, and I don't think I'll ever buy another piece of brand-new equipment.<br /><br />But I wouldn't be mad if SawStop did one day offer a 12" sliding table. And my advice to anybody purchasing a saw for which SawStop <i>does</i> make a model: buy the SawStop. As long as the other features match your requirements, why wouldn't you want to add the extra protection? The $500 premium you'll pay is nothing compared to the value of having all ten fingers a the end of the day.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-82065746821450367442012-03-12T06:02:00.002-07:002012-04-03T08:33:19.879-07:00AirCab: The style and price of Ikea... with heirloom quality<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQbJjPlbeGI/T13zcP6Z02I/AAAAAAAAET8/aqcSC6Fb2Qo/s1600/aircab+wally.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HQbJjPlbeGI/T13zcP6Z02I/AAAAAAAAET8/aqcSC6Fb2Qo/s320/aircab+wally.JPG" width="320" /></a>I am always trying to come up with production piece ideas, while learning more about the craft and doing custom work. Production pieces present unique challenges: whereas with one-off furniture the goal is to <br /><a name='more'></a>bring the design to life - no matter what it takes - with production pieces the building process informs the design, and vice-versa. <br /><br />I've been thinking over a low-cost (very low - in the $100's) cabinet product for months. Something for people like me and my friends, looking for higher quality furniture than from Ikea, but not something that breaks the bank. Something that takes advantage of unused space, so city dwellers can keep cramped condos organized. But until recently I had been envisioning a corner cabinet. It was only a couple of weeks ago I thought of something even better: the AirCab.<br /><br />AirCab is a wall-mounted cabinet with sliding doors that don't get in the way, even when AirCab is mounted somewhere <i>really</i> tight, like a bathroom or foyer.<br /><br />It's made from 100% aircraft-grade (un-certified) Baltic Birch plywood. The sliding doors are done without any plastic or metal track, and required a creative new design using thin-kerf tracks and some amazing 5-ply 1/16"&nbsp; plywood "fins" that keep the doors over their tracks.<br /><br />Production furniture, especially when it's made for real people who consider the price, is at its best when the form follows function both in terms of use, and in terms of streamlined manufacturing. AirCab achieves this goal to a pretty high degree, and promises more streamlined production as demand (and the size of my production runs) grows. That gives AirCab a pretty bright future.<br /><br />The current design for mounting AirCab is as simple as can be: a "French cleat" is screwed to a pair of wall studs, and the AirCab simply drops into place on the cleat. Once you locate the studs, installation takes about three minutes. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_j-b9RKduWw/T13zboe5ytI/AAAAAAAAET0/pXMNhbTl94M/s1600/aircab+wally+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_j-b9RKduWw/T13zboe5ytI/AAAAAAAAET0/pXMNhbTl94M/s320/aircab+wally+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXiwtOz_lqY/T13zd70r-6I/AAAAAAAAEUE/B_WX-v6OSfg/s1600/aircabwally+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cXiwtOz_lqY/T13zd70r-6I/AAAAAAAAEUE/B_WX-v6OSfg/s320/aircabwally+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-6928360357436740392012-02-16T09:21:00.002-08:002012-03-11T19:09:05.945-07:00A Modernist entertainment center<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wgXs8g_oEc/Tz07GCrgeCI/AAAAAAAAER0/Jc5r8EQ7XjE/s1600/tv+stand+B&amp;W.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4wgXs8g_oEc/Tz07GCrgeCI/AAAAAAAAER0/Jc5r8EQ7XjE/s400/tv+stand+B&amp;W.png" width="400" /></a></div>Here is a picture of a recent commission - a small entertainment center to hold a flat screen TV, a cable box, and a couple of stereo components. I had a little fun turning one of the photos black &amp; white, making it look a lot like one of those modernist catalog photos from the 1950's. Originally, my clients and I had decided to bevel the top all the way around. But when it came time to make the final cuts to the slab, the natural edge was so close to the bevel we had planned, we decided we couldn't cut it off.<br /><br />The bump on the top is a large, felt-bottomed "coaster" I made for the 42" TV that will go on top of the table. The owners were looking for something they could use as an entertainment center in their small condo, then re-purpose once they move into a larger home. The coaster will protect the top so there's no damage from the TV's plastic stand.<br /><br />This piece took two months to make.&nbsp; It features several "firsts" for me: my first shop-made pivot hinges, first hand-planed (rather than sanded) surfaces, first invisible magnetic doors, first book-matched doors, first blind dowel &amp; lap joined case, first carved handles, and first 100% solid wood black walnut construction, from a naturally-felled old-growth black walnut.<br /><br />This was my first "fine furniture" commission, and I look forward to the chance to design &amp; build similar pieces in the future.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRodEIY9LIk/Tz08KhoxVKI/AAAAAAAAER8/MO1m02MDEms/s1600/adams+tv+stand+white+background.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRodEIY9LIk/Tz08KhoxVKI/AAAAAAAAER8/MO1m02MDEms/s320/adams+tv+stand+white+background.jpg" width="320" />&nbsp;</a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="286" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xRykxu2h1us/T0BnwVnY1FI/AAAAAAAAESI/g-K4Te66pgI/s400/ag+ent+ctr+extracted+front+view.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The legs get wider at their bases, while the bevel on the top and the doors lend an upward-sweeping shape</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVnCWWHZdPc/T0BoSyWrNzI/AAAAAAAAESQ/Gln5Cfpm9j0/s1600/IMG_2832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uVnCWWHZdPc/T0BoSyWrNzI/AAAAAAAAESQ/Gln5Cfpm9j0/s320/IMG_2832.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the doors move on invisible brass pivot hinges I made myself</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yW9MH8UdFRo/T0BqOCI_WFI/AAAAAAAAESY/9gC58JZvCRM/s1600/IMG_2886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="224" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yW9MH8UdFRo/T0BqOCI_WFI/AAAAAAAAESY/9gC58JZvCRM/s320/IMG_2886.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">book-matching can lead to some amazing figure in wood. I retro-fit a 3hp motor to my band saw before sawing these panels</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-36948649689760897602012-02-09T18:43:00.000-08:002012-06-08T20:34:25.107-07:00New Pedestal Stand for the Sera 15 gallon Biotope<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SywOSKBdjQw/TzR_-9CSXrI/AAAAAAAAERU/XpaCBSqiwE4/s1600/IMG_4506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SywOSKBdjQw/TzR_-9CSXrI/AAAAAAAAERU/XpaCBSqiwE4/s200/IMG_4506.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my pedestal: 36" tall</td></tr></tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImHzAr6wtL0/TzUnIG2VIeI/AAAAAAAAERk/7CXLsKJuZ2g/s1600/IMG_4504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImHzAr6wtL0/TzUnIG2VIeI/AAAAAAAAERk/7CXLsKJuZ2g/s200/IMG_4504.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">front view</td></tr></tbody></table>The Sera Biotope 60 is a 15 gallon "micro" aquarium-in-a-box, perfect for people needing just a little bit of fish tank in their lives. With its sleek shape and dark gray molded, vented canopy, the Biotope cuts a handsome figure. But the pedestal usually sold alongside the Biotope 60 doesn't live up to the job.&nbsp; Short and squat, with not a lot of storage space, it could look, and serve the needs of cramped apartment dwellers, a little better.<br /><br />This project represents my ongoing development in re-thinking common furniture challenges to create a new, more economical designs, while improving on quality and style at the same time. In this case, I achieved the same wholesale price point as the factory stand, but improved on it in many ways:<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAahR_DRcW0/TzSBMkuUKeI/AAAAAAAAERc/DJtQKlbBgZ4/s1600/107101410-260x260-0-0_sera+sera+biotop+nano+cube+60+stand+sera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vAahR_DRcW0/TzSBMkuUKeI/AAAAAAAAERc/DJtQKlbBgZ4/s200/107101410-260x260-0-0_sera+sera+biotop+nano+cube+60+stand+sera.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the factory stand: 28" tall</td></tr></tbody></table>Like most of my aquarium cabinets, this pedestal is 36" tall, and stands on hidden feet to make the job of leveling easier, and provide an air gap to protect the floor from trapped moisture. The commercial stand is 28" tall.&nbsp; There's a consensus among hobbyists and professionals that taller cabinets are preferred, so I don't understand the persistence of such low stands from the factories.&nbsp; Perhaps the low-quality materials used in factory furniture can't support taller designs. <br /><br />My pedestal is door-less, which saves on costs and allows me to spend money on longer-lasting materials (birch plywood instead of melamine-laminated MDF and particle board). But with three 12" shelves, my pedestal has far more storage space.&nbsp; And even though there are no doors, the front leg of the pedestal hides shelf contents remarkably well, while giving the whole piece a dynamic look. This is a case of re-thinking the conventional wisdom: I don't think there is a desire among consumers for doors on such a small and narrow aquarium stand.&nbsp; More important are an elegant look, resistance to tipping, and strength. In this case, my shelves are just a bonus of the design.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFkChRhkCFo/TzUniU3T3_I/AAAAAAAAERs/EEkBieqXOuo/s1600/IMG_4498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qFkChRhkCFo/TzUniU3T3_I/AAAAAAAAERs/EEkBieqXOuo/s200/IMG_4498.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had a Sera canopy to use as a template</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />There are hidden improvements as well: whereas many commercially available stands (and furniture in general) are stapled together (yes, stapled, with high-power staplers), I used real fasteners to bring it all together: birch dowels, glued into the top and bottom panels and sanded flush. These dowels will never come out; the whole pedestal will last essentially forever, which is not true of the commercial model. To boot, the dowel design is faster to make than a stapled-box design.<br /><br />My pedestal stand is available at Unique Aquaria &amp; Reptiles in Boston, MA.Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-39919993048206635652012-01-13T21:18:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:52:39.050-08:00Ultra-accurate table saw tune-up tip<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4vQVncwTkM/TxEKsAVH9KI/AAAAAAAAD5w/EIsxUbXyGwk/s1600/IMG_4218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u4vQVncwTkM/TxEKsAVH9KI/AAAAAAAAD5w/EIsxUbXyGwk/s200/IMG_4218.jpg" width="149" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">here is the straightedge lined up on the blade</td></tr></tbody></table>Table saw tune ups are necessary and annoying.&nbsp; And for me, I've never really gotten my table saw "perfectly" tuned.&nbsp; I've always had the nagging suspicion that using the blade as a reference was insufficient: with a 10" table saw blade, the distance between the reference teeth is a mere 5" or so.&nbsp; That's not a lot of distance to magnify any deviation from square.&nbsp; <br /><br />But&nbsp; this week I had a bright idea: I used my machinist's straightedge to lengthen the reference surface to a whopping 24".&nbsp; By laying the bar flat on the table and resting one edge against two opposing teeth on the blade, I essentially increased my precision roughly 5-fold.<br /><br />Check out these pics:<br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVnxx6kAWxQ/TxEKudSaROI/AAAAAAAAD54/dAGkNUtGau4/s1600/IMG_4220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cVnxx6kAWxQ/TxEKudSaROI/AAAAAAAAD54/dAGkNUtGau4/s320/IMG_4220.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and there's the long leg of my good square against the edge: it's a little off.&nbsp; how far off?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cYbcWGi8vGY/TxEKwY2-asI/AAAAAAAAD6A/Ngf7DsbUxXI/s1600/IMG_4225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cYbcWGi8vGY/TxEKwY2-asI/AAAAAAAAD6A/Ngf7DsbUxXI/s320/IMG_4225.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That far off!&nbsp; That's around 1/64" of an inch over 24"&nbsp; Small, but enough to confuse me when I'm sneaking up on the joinery.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2Rg1k5_9DJY/TxEKzFi9OiI/AAAAAAAAD6I/43_ABw7Jrq0/s1600/IMG_4227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgJh1tHa_U/TxEKzuj0MHI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/r2BNWuI6V10/s1600/IMG_4228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZAgJh1tHa_U/TxEKzuj0MHI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/r2BNWuI6V10/s320/IMG_4228.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">after tapping the crosscut fence with a clamp, I'm now dead on.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EQBCvGyKsZ0/TxEK0OozAwI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/WgbOP9TlNYs/s1600/IMG_4229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EQBCvGyKsZ0/TxEK0OozAwI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/WgbOP9TlNYs/s320/IMG_4229.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">how about a closeup?&nbsp; that smaller scale is measuring how far the square is from the straightedge, and it's graduated in 1/64" :)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BbCfDsG2XE8/TxEK0X2X3EI/AAAAAAAAD6g/8fdyuu52cP4/s1600/IMG_4230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-u13dzU18BP0/TxEK046FESI/AAAAAAAAD6o/lBHEjnDxhMw/s1600/IMG_4231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egVKIFLZlWk/TxEK1CFwWdI/AAAAAAAAD6w/aDslbWr856I/s1600/IMG_4233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-egVKIFLZlWk/TxEK1CFwWdI/AAAAAAAAD6w/aDslbWr856I/s320/IMG_4233.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made sure to align the straightedge with two of the same type of tooth on my blade. The chippers are centered on the blade.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />These photos were taken with the iPhone 4.&nbsp; The Closeups were taken on the iPhone using a free magnifying glass app.&nbsp; Awesome!Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-27057057243608022032012-01-13T13:41:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:52:01.186-08:00My first dovetail<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1qgYRLLSiUk/TxCWuQvLpII/AAAAAAAAD5o/DDznLiWsxYg/s1600/IMG_4294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1qgYRLLSiUk/TxCWuQvLpII/AAAAAAAAD5o/DDznLiWsxYg/s320/IMG_4294.jpg" width="320" /></a>The dovetail: a classic corner joint, superior to almost all others for joining two boards at a square corner.&nbsp; It's one of most recognizable signs of craftsmanship (especially for laypeople), one of the first things taught at most furniture schools, and the joint that spawned a million-dollar industry of products designed to avoid hand-cutting it, or avoid using it altogether.&nbsp; <br /><br />After nearly two years of teaching myself woodworking, I have read a great deal about dovetails.&nbsp; So today, in the midst of what I think of as my first "fine furniture" commission, I decided to see if all my reading could help me make a decent dovetail.&nbsp; <br /><br />I decided to make a <br /><a name='more'></a>single dovetail, by hand.&nbsp; I grabbed a piece of scrap cherry and chopped it in half.&nbsp; Then, I used a bevel gauge to set the angle of the tail, a marking gauge to set the depth, and a Japanese square to transfer the marks to the opposite face of my tail board.&nbsp; I cut the tail with my Dozuki crosscut saw (it has a very thin kerf and a rigid back), almost to the depth line, then chopped away the waste on either side of the tail with a 1/2" chisel, using a large bench hook I use for planing. &nbsp;&nbsp; <br /><br />Next, I traced the shape of the tail onto the end grain of the pin board, used the tail board to mark the depth with a pencil, and then used the Japanese square to transfer the pin outline down to the depth marks on the faces of the pin board.&nbsp; Then, I cut the two half pins with the Dozuki, and chopped out the waste in the middle with my chisel, on the bench hook.<br /><br />It didn't take too many paring cuts to a) get the joint to slide together pretty firmly, and b) accidentally pare a curved shape into one of the faces.<br /><br />But all in all, I can not complain!&nbsp; With a little cherry wood filler, my first dovetail isn't half bad.&nbsp; I look forward to joining my next case not with my Festool Domino or hollow chisel mortiser, but with my Dozuki and a chisel.<br /><br />...and, of course, my sharpening stones ;-) <br /><br />Voila!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And by the way: that single dovetail joint is stronger than a m****rf****r!! I am stunned.&nbsp; </div>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-52062817223858264262012-01-10T10:58:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:53:34.467-08:00180 Gallon CabinetHere are some pics (and a YouTube video) of one of my 180 gallon cabinets, now on display at Skipton Unique Aquaria in Boston.<br /><br />Here is the video (below).&nbsp; To see the pictures click "Read More" at the end of the post. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/07elR67lExY?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /><br /><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubgsfmVnX_I/TwyJHENcAoI/AAAAAAAADqw/wPe74fmxIgk/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ubgsfmVnX_I/TwyJHENcAoI/AAAAAAAADqw/wPe74fmxIgk/s320/IMG_4196.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Zo_L_K3w_0/TwyJIBKPlgI/AAAAAAAADq4/FgpovKVNiCk/s1600/IMG_4197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Zo_L_K3w_0/TwyJIBKPlgI/AAAAAAAADq4/FgpovKVNiCk/s320/IMG_4197.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc0ri_C78X0/TwyJJkS-OUI/AAAAAAAADrA/oajacPF_nBQ/s1600/IMG_4198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rc0ri_C78X0/TwyJJkS-OUI/AAAAAAAADrA/oajacPF_nBQ/s320/IMG_4198.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GnJ52ubON7o/TwyJK5X61CI/AAAAAAAADrI/qiS2762plA8/s1600/IMG_4199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GnJ52ubON7o/TwyJK5X61CI/AAAAAAAADrI/qiS2762plA8/s320/IMG_4199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NXCBlzYynM/TwyJMhyi8kI/AAAAAAAADrQ/iQal0c74pes/s1600/IMG_4200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4NXCBlzYynM/TwyJMhyi8kI/AAAAAAAADrQ/iQal0c74pes/s320/IMG_4200.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gX7mXouoWU/TwyJN_ZFlkI/AAAAAAAADrY/4e9pOThlj5M/s1600/IMG_4201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8gX7mXouoWU/TwyJN_ZFlkI/AAAAAAAADrY/4e9pOThlj5M/s320/IMG_4201.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55jdPg3kYwY/TwyJO1fpSXI/AAAAAAAADrg/ZpkILaNBgCs/s1600/IMG_4202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-55jdPg3kYwY/TwyJO1fpSXI/AAAAAAAADrg/ZpkILaNBgCs/s320/IMG_4202.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-22584280859443380732012-01-07T20:08:00.000-08:002012-01-17T07:54:22.676-08:00Best hand-plane results from sharp & square blades<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKcmKoQzj3A/TwkTTrpTPbI/AAAAAAAADp4/-v7TN1Vh4Jg/s1600/IMG_4181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LKcmKoQzj3A/TwkTTrpTPbI/AAAAAAAADp4/-v7TN1Vh4Jg/s320/IMG_4181.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Most people with a tool box own a plane and a chisel.&nbsp; And yet of all the tools in those toolboxes, the plane and chisel probably get the least amount of use.&nbsp; If this state of affairs sounds familiar, then read on!</i></span><br /><br />When I fist started woodworking, I was, like many, the proud owner of an unused plane and an unused set of chisels.&nbsp; I figured I was one of a "new breed" of woodworkers who simply relied on today's power tools to make furniture.<br /><br />Such are the crazy things one can come up with when one is self-taught!<br /><br />Now that I have a couple of years under my belt, and I've finally started making <b><i>fine</i></b> furniture, <br /><a name='more'></a>I find myself reaching for my chisels and planes every day.&nbsp; In many cases where I would have powered up my jointer, drum sander, or router, I now leave the power tools unplugged, and enjoy working faster, more quietly, and more safely, by using these traditional hand tools.<br /><br />But I didn't understand hand-held knives until I understood how to sharpen them.&nbsp;&nbsp; Planes and chisels simply don't work if they're dull.&nbsp; For the novice, this fact isn't obvious: '<i>my results are probably bad because my technique is bad</i>'.&nbsp; In fact, if a plane or chisel is sharp and properly set &amp; shaped, both tools are easy to use, and produce results far finer than any power tool can accomplish.&nbsp; <br /><br />This post is about sharpening, setting, and using planes.&nbsp; Almost everything in it applies to chisels as well, though I don't cover chisel technique.&nbsp; The methods I'll discuss were learned from my experience making furniture and lifestyle products from wood, and from books.<br /><br />If you like, you can read about the <a href="http://idvwdesign.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-books-about-hand-planes.html" target="_blank">three books I used to learn about planes.</a><br /><br /><b>Why hand plane?</b><br /><br />Hand planes have been in use for at least a thousand years.&nbsp; While they have been replaced by a host of lower-maintenance, more forgiving tools, they remain the fastest way to achieve some very common woodworking tasks, and they do it in such fine fashion the quality is hard to replicate any other way.&nbsp; Planes remain the best at these tasks because of the way they cut, which is fundamentally different from power tools. <br /><br />Plane blades are pushed through the wood, cutting in a long slicing motion.&nbsp; The resulting surface is perfectly smooth.&nbsp; Perfectly smooth wooden surfaces have a sheen and figure that is simply impossible to achieve in any way other than shaving the grain in one long slice.&nbsp; Many woodworkers (myself included) spend far too much time trying to achieve this smoothness by other means. In fact, the entire woodworking industry has grown <i>huge</i> on other means of achieving what a hand plane does naturally. &nbsp; <br /><br />To straighten and chamfer a decorative wooden edge, I can either plane it in, or go through the following mess:<br /><ol><li>First stop, the jointer, where I connect the dust hose, put on the earmuffs, goggles, and mask, and watch my fingers like a hawk.&nbsp; The jointer leaves a wavy surface (no matter how slowly I go), and snipes the end of my board.&nbsp; Good thing I left a little extra on the sniped end...hope I won't need to see the jointer again, after I cut the piece to final length...</li><li>To remove the wave, I can either plane it off, or:</li><li>Start sanding!&nbsp; I might try a power sander, but the risk of creating a divot or angle is significant.&nbsp; So I go with a sanding block: 120, 150, 180, 220, 320, 400...is it smooth enough yet?&nbsp; Not as smooth as the stuff in the <a href="http://www.mfa.org/collections/asia" target="_blank">MFA</a>.&nbsp; And woops, I got a little angle going after all.</li></ol>When it comes to flattening large surfaces, trying to get around using a large hand plane is a funny-looking clusterf***, made tolerable only by the joy of working with tens of thousands of dollars in noisy, dusty, <b>gigantic</b> machines.&nbsp; All can say about that is: I'm glad I discovered the world of sharp planes before I went too far down the "<a href="http://www.woodweb.com/knowledge_base/Drum_Sander_Versus_Wide_Belt.html" target="_blank">Timesaver</a>" road of dual drum sanders and super-wide planing machines.<br /><br />Of course, giant drum sanders and their kin have their place, especially in a production shop where neither the maker nor the client cares about the superior look and feel of truly smooth surfaces.&nbsp; But if you're going to sand your way to smoothness, know this: sand paper can't ever make wood smooth.&nbsp; The best you can get is very fine scratches, and for those, sanding through the grits can take a very long time.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Sharpening Planes</b><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8kiI4aCQ28/Twf34D6-zaI/AAAAAAAADo4/KQw0VJqMRs8/s1600/IMG_4120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-I8kiI4aCQ28/Twf34D6-zaI/AAAAAAAADo4/KQw0VJqMRs8/s320/IMG_4120.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Sharp, square, flat blades are a must.&nbsp; The plane needs to be able to take a very fine shaving from the wood, with little effort on your part, and the shaving needs to be of even thickness, tapering to nothing at the edges.&nbsp; (In the photo at right, I need to adjust the plane blade angle slightly left, since the left edge of the shaving is too strong.)<br /><br />When I first faced facts and sharpened my plane and chisel blades, I had a long hill to climb.&nbsp; All of my blades had been nicked badly from misuse - everything from opening cans of finish to prying apart corroded metal machine parts.&nbsp; For over a year, I slowly pieced together my own slow-speed wet grinding wheel, using a 14" Nova Scotia sandstone wheel.<br /><br />But in the end, I found the fastest way to re-grind my blades was with my 6x48" belt sanders.&nbsp; Using the Veritas angle jig, I simply ran each blade across the 80 grit belt (with the motor OFF) until it was evenly ground.&nbsp; Then I followed with my other 3 belt sanders, which are set up with 120, 180, and 220 grit belts.&nbsp; After the belts, I honed the blades further with Japanese water stones, at 800 and 4,000 grit.&nbsp; This brought the blades to a fairly sharp state.<br /><br />For further honing, I turn again to sand paper. &nbsp; &nbsp; This time, it's Klingspor sheets, glued to a piece of glass.&nbsp; I have 800, 1200, 1400, and 1500 grit sheets.<br /><br />Somewhere in the high grits (I'm still experimenting), I switch the wheel on the bottom of my sharpening jig to an ellipse-shaped wheel, which allows me to concentrate pressure at the edges of the bevel.&nbsp; Doing this rounds the ends of the blade slightly, which will allow me to smooth boards without leaving track marks from ever-so-out-of-square blade settings. <br /><br />To all of those who prefer freehand sharpening: OK, you do you.&nbsp; I don't sand my work anymore, and I don't chew through blades either.&nbsp; <br /><br />And don't forget to flatten the back of the blade too.&nbsp; Need I mention do NOT grind a bevel into the back of the blade?&nbsp; Read Hoadly's <i>Understanding Wood</i> for a primer on cutting.<br /><br />If it sounds like a long and laborious process, it is. But now that my blades are shaped, I am careful with them, avoiding nicks, so getting them from pretty sharp to extremely sharp is no biggie.&nbsp; Also, although I have used a Tormek and my own bigger, faster wet grinder, I still think sand paper is the fastest way to shape blades and even hone them.&nbsp; For the 80-220 grit stage, you don't need much more than strips of sand paper on a piece of MDF, or even mounted to the belt sander itself.&nbsp; For fine honing, something flatter than a belt sander platen is needed.<br /><br />If you are using a plane for the first time, slide the sole of the plane around on a wide sheet of 15,000 grit sandpaper (on glass), and check for flatness. If the polish isn't even on the sole, you'll need to flatten it before you can continue.&nbsp; Be careful and don't change the angle of the sole to the sides, or you'll have to account for that whenever you shoot with the plane.&nbsp; Not the worst thing in the world, anyway, and to avoid this use the finest grit possible (to complete the job in less than three hours!), and a completely flat piece of glass or stone.&nbsp; <br /><br /><b>Setting plane blades</b><br /><br />As you can imagine, a plane only does a good job of flattening if the blade is square to the work.&nbsp; I learned an easy way to prepare a plane for work from Ficnk's<a href="http://idvwdesign.blogspot.com/2012/01/my-favorite-books-about-hand-planes.html" target="_blank"> Making and Mastering Wooden Planes</a> (Taunton Press).&nbsp; Here's how to make sure the blade is square to the work:<br /><ol><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnU9fqKx3mA/TwkTIjU251I/AAAAAAAADpY/pHT2nlv41dw/s1600/IMG_4170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OnU9fqKx3mA/TwkTIjU251I/AAAAAAAADpY/pHT2nlv41dw/s200/IMG_4170.jpg" width="149" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdKLlOEZb4s/TwkTLzsa22I/AAAAAAAADpg/ptDbKLnjzU8/s1600/IMG_4171.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZdKLlOEZb4s/TwkTLzsa22I/AAAAAAAADpg/ptDbKLnjzU8/s200/IMG_4171.jpg" width="149" /></a><li>Clamp a board, roughly half the width of the plane blade, edge-up on the bench.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>flip the plane belly-up, and bring the blade out until it is almost proud of the sole (but not quite) </li><li>Run the plane the full length of the board's edge.&nbsp; There should be no shaving. </li><li>Bring the blade out a little bit, and repeat Step 3 until the plane takes a few fine nicks off the edge (these will be the machine marks from a rough dimensioning of the board)</li><li>Take another shaving, until the plane is taking a thin, continuous shaving.&nbsp; Now it's ready to set.</li><li>Place the left side of the plane on the beginning of the edge, and take a shaving.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Do the same for the right side of the blade.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Observe the two shavings: the one from the left of the blade, and the one from the right.&nbsp; Are they of the same quality?&nbsp; Adjust the left/right tilt of the blade until both sides of the blade take the same shaving.&nbsp; </li><li>Now your plane is ready for business :)</li></ol>My Planes<br /><br />Before I leave you, I want to give a run-down of the planes I use in my shop.&nbsp;&nbsp; The ones that get the most use are my E.C. Emmerich scrub plane, which is a special plane for the initial flattening of panels, my Stanley No. 4 1/2 smoother, and my Lie Nielsen jack plane.&nbsp; I also used a nice big wooden jointer plane until recently.&nbsp; All that's stopping me from putting it back into service is a trip through the grinding and honing process I described above.&nbsp; I use these four planes a lot these days, mostly for flattening panels and final jointing of board edges for gluing up into panels.&nbsp; <br /><br />For routing, I do have a Stanley moving fillister plane, and a Record plow plane.&nbsp; both of these planes need to have their blades re-ground and honed before I can get into using them.&nbsp; For now, I rely on my router, mortiser, and chisels to make grooves... <br /><br />...But I'm sure I'd be happier using the planes for those jobs!Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-75105841683581760702012-01-06T23:10:00.000-08:002012-01-06T23:10:38.942-08:00My favorite books about hand planesI have learned about almost everything I do from a book, followed by repeated practice.&nbsp; Here are the books from which I learned about hand planes:<br /><ol><li><i>Understanding Wood, </i>by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/R-Bruce-Hoadley/138951666123348" target="_blank">R. Bruce Hoadley</a>. This is the first book I ever read about woodworking.&nbsp; It is so clearly the best book for beginners to read<i>, </i>I can't recommend it enough.&nbsp; It's also a must-read for experienced woodworkers who haven't yet opened the book.&nbsp; I have seen and heard enough examples of master furniture makers experiencing "mysteriously" poor results, because of something they <i>didn</i>'t find out about in <i>Understanding Wood</i>.&nbsp; This book takes a narrative, scientific approach to the fundamentals of wood, from physiology to wood movement, to cutting wood, blade angles, stress and shaping, and so much more.&nbsp; If you make furniture and you haven't read this book, then <i>you don't know wood</i>.&nbsp; The sections on blades, chip formation, and cutting are fundamental to my work with planes.</li><li><i>Sharpening</i>, by <a href="http://books.google.com/books/about/Taunton_s_Complete_Illustrated_Guide_to.html?id=brjCizSb2TAC" target="_blank">Lie Nielsen</a>.&nbsp; It's a good over-all reference by a renowned metal plane maker.&nbsp; It covers the sharpening of a wide range of tools.&nbsp; It's organized like an encyclopaedia, which can be nice as a reference.&nbsp; But I don't like this style if I'm learning about something for the first time, because it's hard to tell if you're getting the whole picture on a given topic.&nbsp; For example, If you're trying to successfully use a hand plane, <i>Sharpening</i> will not get you there.&nbsp; </li><li><a href="http://www.davidfinck.com/book.htm" target="_blank">Making and Mastering Wooden Planes</a>, by David Finck.&nbsp; A great primer on sharpening, setting, and using planes.&nbsp; It's also a decent guide to making wooden hand planes.&nbsp; This book is organized in a narrative way, and is best read start-to-finish.&nbsp; I use it as a reference as well.&nbsp; Finck teaches his methods, rather than try and cover the gamut.&nbsp; For example, a novice wouldn't know from Finck's book that different planing tasks and wood grains might be best suited to different blade cutting angles and wedge angles.&nbsp; However, this was the most recent book I've read on the topic, and it's the book that finally got me going with hand planes.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ol>These three books show the why and how of sharpening and using hand planes.&nbsp; Read them and practice what they tell you, and soon your plane will be2 singing away!Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-63588197346714666972012-01-04T11:33:00.000-08:002012-01-10T06:40:00.435-08:00120 Cabinet stand and canopy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f3f3f3; text-align: center;">I recently got a chance to take photos of one of my recent aquarium cabinet and canopy builds.&nbsp; I also&nbsp; </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/isaacvw/120MafiaTank?authuser=0&amp;feat=directlink" target="_blank">took photos of every stage of the build</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: black; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mvmItW9d7eQ/TwSneTKlnLI/AAAAAAAADow/P0m-4nWSzfA/s1600/IMG_4077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mvmItW9d7eQ/TwSneTKlnLI/AAAAAAAADow/P0m-4nWSzfA/s320/IMG_4077.JPG" width="320" />&nbsp;</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3KRsAKkdDY/TwSnezjZsXI/AAAAAAAADow/4cfXou3Cre0/s1600/IMG_4078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3KRsAKkdDY/TwSnezjZsXI/AAAAAAAADow/4cfXou3Cre0/s320/IMG_4078.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gdqBiUUfMAU/TwSnexLty3I/AAAAAAAADow/ILnMcntsDGs/s1600/IMG_4079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9ZOVOsF6Ek/TwSngxoiJaI/AAAAAAAADow/dhQbnl4BFRc/s1600/IMG_4080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W9ZOVOsF6Ek/TwSngxoiJaI/AAAAAAAADow/dhQbnl4BFRc/s320/IMG_4080.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LITg89wCwTk/TwSnfrza9QI/AAAAAAAADow/YItzgIb6RM8/s1600/IMG_4081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LITg89wCwTk/TwSnfrza9QI/AAAAAAAADow/YItzgIb6RM8/s320/IMG_4081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LedvIp8wPk/TwSngmZ_fVI/AAAAAAAADow/Jf7vLyQqrbs/s1600/IMG_4083.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7LedvIp8wPk/TwSngmZ_fVI/AAAAAAAADow/Jf7vLyQqrbs/s320/IMG_4083.jpg" width="238" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1etRnmybJow/TwSngvro5wI/AAAAAAAADow/0ZmR1XXogh8/s1600/IMG_4082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1etRnmybJow/TwSngvro5wI/AAAAAAAADow/0ZmR1XXogh8/s320/IMG_4082.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-1814852138721835432011-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:002011-12-31T10:10:24.343-08:00How to bend wood - vacuum methodsWhile researching bending methods for a counter-top wine rack I am designing, I came across <a href="http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/vacuumforming.htm" target="_blank">this excellent post on JoeWoodworker.com</a>.&nbsp; I found the author's real-world expertise informative, as he describes a few tricks of the trade I haven't seen elsewhere.&nbsp; If you want to bend wood with a vacuum bag, check this site.&nbsp; <br /><br />The site also offers plans and materials for building your own vacuum press.&nbsp; These are relatively sophisticated systems and there are many options and parameters to consider.&nbsp; Take a deep dive into <a href="http://www.joewoodworker.com/veneering/faq.htm#G1" target="_blank">vacuum press FAQs here</a>.&nbsp; <br /><br />...And stay tuned for pics of my new "Wine Wave" counter-top wine rack!Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2958835772610563808.post-23604111342295258952011-12-13T18:05:00.000-08:002011-12-20T20:56:35.333-08:00CS Machinery: A source for pattern-maker's and Tucker visesWhile looking for a power stock feeder on eBay, I came across a great source for the highly sought-after (and out of production) <a href="http://www.mprime.com/Emmert/index.htm" target="_blank">Emmert Vise</a>.&nbsp; <i>CS Machinery</i> is run by Bill Kerfoot, and is located in Oxford, PA, not far from Philly, NYC, and Charm City.&nbsp; They have an incredible number of antique vises and vise parts, especially Tucker vises and pattern-maker's vises.&nbsp; I wrote Bill an email with a question about how to use a stock feeder on a table saw.&nbsp; He was very helpful and knowledgeable, <span style="font-size: small;">which is not always the case with owners of machinery stores.&nbsp; I imagine Bill knows quite a bit about vises of all types, so if you're looking for a vise, why not give <a href="http://www.csmachinery.us/" target="_blank">CS Machinery</a> a try?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">210 Lower Hopewell Rd<br />Oxford, PA 19363<br />Phone: (610) 998-0544<br />Email: <a href="mailto:csmachinery@zoominternet.net">csmachinery@zoominternet.net</a></span> </span>Isaac Van Wesephttps://plus.google.com/107303089708113676069noreply@blogger.com0